Where To Go From Here
by Odi et amo
Summary: Scherise wakes up in the middle of nowhere after the final battle with Mujin. She has lost her memory and Cougar, now an official resident of the lost ground, is the only one who can help her. This is a Romance between them. There may be a lemon in lat
1. Chapter 1: Waking

Author's note. I don't own S-cry-Ed, or basically any good anime, because I suck. As do my idea's. I warn you now, this is a Scherise/Cougar fanfic. Yes, as a couple. I realize this is a bit unusual, but I did my research, and apparently I'm the only one who supports them. I'm a minority. Yay!

This is set after the last episode of the series. Scherise is supposedly dead, but in the rules of fanfic-dom, anything goes. So I ressurected her for my own purposes. Enjoy!

_She was floating._

_That was the first thing she was aware of. The second thing was that she felt warm. The third was that she felt as if something momentous had just happened, but she didn't know what. She knew she had to be somewhere for someone, but his face was a blur, and his name a blank that had to be filled, she just wasn't sure that she wanted to. With that unnamed, faceless man in her mind, was a whole host of emotions she didn't want to aknowledge._

_So she just drifted. Floated. Let the weightlessness take her away as a bright light filled her mind and peace filled her soul. She loved, but she did not know who it was she loved. She just drifted away..._

Something hard was against her back. Something prickly, and scratchy and hard. Then something scrambled across her stomach.

Scherise screamed and sat up to shove whatever it was away. Her tactic of "panic" worked as a squirrel ran away from her, chittering angrily. She watched it go, curious as to where she was. The last thing she remembered was...was...wa...

She didn't know. Oh, she knew her name, her age, and what she looked like, but that was it. She couldn't remember anyone she might have known, or where she was from, or _anything_. It was all a horrendous blank. Desperately she searched her mind for something familiar, something to cling to, but there was nothing. Nothing at all. It was if she had nothing _to_ remember.

A breeze enveloped her, and she shivered, suddenly cold. Reflexively she reached about her shoulders to pull her jacket tighter, but all she felt was skin. She looked down at herself and gasped.

She was naked.

Embarrassed she looked about her to see if anyone had noticed, but there was nothing about except desert, and stray clumps of grass, trees, or bushes. A name filtered through her mind but was gone too quickly for her to grasp. Lost...

Lost what? Lost home, lost land, lost naked naked woman in the middle of an open area...? Lost. Well, she was definitely that.

She stood, hunching over with an arm around her breasts, and another across her upper thighs. Even if she was all alone, she still didn't trust the area around her. There could be somebody hiding behind one of those bushes, spying on her, for all she knew.

She broke into an akward run towards a promising clump of trees and hid behind one. Looking about her, she noticed one with large leaves and walked towards it. Reaching up. she broke a few off, then fashioned herself a makeshift skirt and top. Grimacing she looked at her handywork, then shrugged. It wasn't like Adam or Eve could do better...

She blinked. Who the hell were Adam and Eve?

Well, whoever they were, maybe they knew her, and could help her out of this jam.

She walked out of the small forest and looked up at the sun. Logic told her that she needed to head on the same direction it set, but she wasn't sure how she knew that. Instead she just grabbed another bunch of leaves and fashioned them into a bag, then picked a bunch of berries and set them inside. Then she took a long drink from a small pool inside the mini-forest and set on her way, heading east.

She prayed someone found her before she ran out of berries, or died of dehydration. Or she could find someone. Preferably a whole town or village of them. Then she could get some clothes and some food. And she could find out if she had been reported missing.

Scherise gave a sigh.

Things could be worse, she could be dead.


	2. Chapter 2: Found

Straight Cougar woke up in a hospital. He wasn't sure why, he had just fallen asleep outside.

Actually, if he admitted the truth to himself, he had _passed _ out, but he wasn't going to admit the truth. He had merely fallen asleep whiling watching Kazuma and Ryuhou battle it out in the sky. He had been envying thier power, and bragging to a group of children about how he was stronger than the guys in the sky.

His mouth felt cottony.

Sitting up, he looked for a glass of water, then noticed that he wasn't really in a hospital. He was lying on a bunk in a make-shift hospital. In other words, someone's home that was packed with people.

Groaning, he stood, but his knees buckled beneath him. He grimaced but held back the cry of pain that rose to his lips when he fell. Instead he just stood again and made his way outside, being careful to grab onto anything that could support him on his way out. His hand rose to shield his eyes from the sunlight, and reflexively he reached for the shades perched atop his head. They weren't there.

A sigh escaped him and he went on ahead, hoping to find someone who could tell him where his shades were.

He was lucky. An older woman ran up to him, one who seemed to recognize him, although he couldn't place her. She had a basket of clothing in her hand.

" Hey..." he began, but she waved him off.

" What are you doing out of bed?" She demanded. His eyebrows rose. Was there somehting wrong with walking?

" Looking for my shades." He replied bluntly. She laughed.

" Those hideous things? I gave them to the children to play with. Good luck finding them...in one piece that is."

Cougar couldn't believe his ears. She had taken his shades? Oh. No. Nobody touched his shades. He scowled at her.

" What gave you the right...?"

" Nothing. I just didn't like them. Oh, and that nasty uniform you were wearing has been burned. Nobody around her likes HOLD, or HOLY for that matter."

For the first time he looked down at what he was wearing. He had on an old, brown, leather jacket, a black tee-shirt and some scuffed blue jeans. They had left his boots on him.

" Who...?"

" My husband. If you were going to ask who changed you. I may be married but I still know what modesty is."

" Oh..."

He was getting ready to ask where the children were when she began to push him towards the house again.

" Now, you need to sleep some more, it's obvious you're exhausted. I'll wake you when it's lunchtime, but until then..."

" Now hold on a damn minute! I want my shades! Who the hell do you think you are!"

" Think of me as your savior. I help the only doctor we have in this place, and he's out on call."

With that said she shoved him back in the house and over to his cot. Grudgingly, he layed down on the cot. He waited thirty minutes before getting up again, then checked to make sure she wasn't around. When he was sure it was safe, he left to find those children she had talked about. After only fifteen minutes of searching he found them. A little purple-haired girl was playing with them by pretending to be a spy. She was shooting an imaginary gun at her friends, who wear shooting imaginary guns back at her. She was the only one not "dying."

Walking up to her her plucked his shades off her head and gave a charmng smile. She glared up at him, fists at her waist.

" Hey, those are mine!" She said petulantly.

" Not anymore." He replied, then walked off to look for Kazuma and Kanami. He knew they were near, he just wasn't sure where they were staying. It wasn't hard to find them. He could hear an argument down the street and headed towards it. Sure enough, there was Ryuhou and Kazuma, yelling at each other over how weak the other was. It was pretty ridiculous, considering they were both heavily bandaged, but they obviously had to fight no matter what.

He tapped Mimori on the shoulder to get her attention. She turned and gave a smile.

" Hey, Cougar. I see you're all better."

" Yes I am Miss Minori..."

" Mimori!"

"...and I was wondering if you'd like to treat me to a bite to eat?"

" Cougar, I'm with Ryuhou. Surely you know that?"

" A guy can hope."

" Hope someplace else then!"

" Hey Kanami..."

" Not there! She's a child!"

" Then feed me."

" You can have lunch with us, but you had better help prepare."

" You mean cook? I can't do that. I dont' know how."

" Time to learn."

The argument ecalated to such an intensity that a crowd began to grow and they stopped speaking. Mimori just shook her head, and Kanami began to walk away. Mimori followed her and took her hand. Cougar stepped up to them just as they began to glow.

" Hey guys, cut the crap. Your women are running away."

Sure enough, that got thier attention, and they stopped glowing. Ryuhou gave a dignified sniff and walked away. Kazuma shouted after him, calling him a coward, but that didn't stop Ryuhou from walking away. Instead, he calmly replied in his permanantly cold voice.

" I have better things to do than fight with an idiot who can't even protect a little girl."

Cougar laughed.

There it was. Three days into her walk and she could finally see some bulidings. Small hovels to be sure, but even in the dusk of nightfall she knew what they meant to her.

_Life._

Her throat was dry and scratchy from the lack of water, and her stomach felt as if it had never known food. the berries had ran out the second day due to her underestimating how many she would need. Her "clotes" had dried up the first day, but her nudity no longer bothered her. It was unimportant to a starving person. To someone as dehydrated and sunburned as herself.

Her feet dragged as she struggled to walk faster. She was using up more energy than she needed to to get there, but all Scherise could think of was _water. Food. Rest..._

Those words played over and over again as she neared the village, stunned that it wasn't a mirage like the last one had been. She could hear people's voices. Children shrieking in joy, men yelling at each other, women gossiping. It was music to her ears, and she loved it all.

She could see someone now. A distinct figure of a man walking towards her, head bowed. He hadn't noticed her yet, and she hoped she could muster up enough energy to cry for help. Her first attempt was a dry whisper. He didn't look up. She tried again.

" He...elp." Still no response. Wetting her chapped lips with her almost entirely dry tonque, she tried once again, forcing her voice to be louder.

" Help!"

He looked up and stopped in his tracks. His hand came up to take his unsual pink shades off, and revealed his wide eyes. He ran to her.

" Scherise!"

_How did he know her name?_ That was her last conscious thought as she fainted in his arms.

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As usual, read and review. Hope you liked it.


	3. Chapter 3: Confusion

" Cougar! Wha...?" Kazuma started, but didn't finish.

Cougar stumbled into the door of the home he was currently sharing with Kazuma, Ryuhou, Mimori, and Kanami. They all stared at him in shock as he carried in a naked, sun-bronzed and burned woman with blue hair. Nobody seemed to recognize her at first until Mimori screamed out her name.

" Scherise!" Cougar just hitched her up in his arms a little better and walked towards his room to lay her in the bed. He avoided looking at her nudity, but still noticed how she felt like all warm curves.

Kanami ran in with Mimori and began to attempt to put some clothing on her while Mimori kept on yelling " No! No! She needs to have her wounds checked."

Then it was pandemonium. Kanami ran away to grab some clothing and blankets, while Ryuhou was being held back by Kazuma, and Mimori was trying to order them about and looking for her first-aid kit. In other words, nobody was really helping, but they were making a hell of a lot of was pushed further and further away until he was forced out of the door. A loud scrash was heard behind him and he turned around, still dazed over what had just happened.

Kazuma was currently straddling a struggling Ryuhou's back, while attempting to force him to calm down. His methods were obviously not working since Ryuhou was threatening Kazuma with all sorts of horrendous deaths.

Finally Ryuhou broke free and ran into Cougars bedroom, only to be shoved out by Mimori, who called him a "pig" and locked the door. He looked stunned at such treatment, as if he had never been pushed out of any bedroom by any woman, then grew angry.

" Damn it woman!" He yelled at the door. " She's my friend! I thought she was dead! Let me in there to see her! I need to know if she's all right!"

" She's nude, and her injuries need to be checked!" Mimori yelled back through the closed door. " I'm not letting you in here so you can gawk at her naked body!"

" Would I honestly do something like that! I'm not some sort of..."

" Pervert? Don't get me started about that time when I was taking a shower!"

" That was an accident!"

" Yeah right! You stood there for like...twenty minutes, staring at my naked back and not even letting me know you were there!"

" Did not!"

" Did too!"

Cougar started laughing. He wasn't sure why. Maybe it was the stress of the moment and the ridiculous argument that Ryuhou and Mimori were having. Or maybe it was just such a relief to know that Scherise was alive, that he couldn't help but laugh to make it seem less of a shock. Either way, he didn't care. It was amusing to see Ryuhou helpless. He couldn't use his alter power because Zetsuai would destroy the house, and he couldn't break down the door because Mimori would castrate him.

Once Cougar started laughing, Kazuma did too. Ryuhou turned around and glared icicles at them, before stomping over to a chair and sitting in it.

" Damn women..." He muttered.

Cougar and Kazuma just laughed harder.

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Five days later Scherise ahd still not woken. Ryuhou was looking worn out and tired, and Kazuma had dissapeared alltogether, claiming the atmosphere was too tense for him. Cougar had been forced to some of the work around the house. Kanami was helping him learn how to cook, but it was obvious that he lacked certain skills required in the culinary arts, like the ability to boil water, or chop vegetables without attempting to sever one's finger.

Mimori was keeping watch like a mother hen, refusing to et Scherise out of her sight, except to relieve herself or eat. Any time she slept, it was always in the same room as Scherise, on the floor. It was obvious she was exausted, but when asked to take a break she always shook hr head and replied that she was fine.

Cougar was stunned by her dedicated attitude. He had not known that the two women were close, but seeing as they both loved Ryuhou, how could they not be close? The only other option was to become bitter enemies, but neither woman had enough malice in her soul to even try to hate the other.

By the morning of the sixth day, Cougar's nerves were raw.

Ryuhou had managed to make his normally cold and standoffish into one of dispair and misery.

Kanami was no longer smiling as much as she used to, and Kazuma had finally returned, only to ask for a meal, then bunk out in Kanami's small bed.

Then Scherise woke up.

When she did, nobody was in the room with her, seeing as Ryuhou had carried Mimori to a bed to sleep on, and Kanami was outside talking to her precious "Kazu-kun."

Cougar was the only one in the house at the time, and when Scherise came stumbling out of his room, wrapped only in a blanket and looking feverish, he reacted as any stressed human would react. By burning his finger on the stove, then cursing, then nearly fainting at the sight of her standing, when before she had been bed-ridden, and even before that, presumed dead.

She blinked wearily at him, then in a voice rusty from disuse asked him.

" Who are you?"


	4. Chapter 4: Questions

They were talking about her again. She could hear them through the door of the one called "Cougar's" door. They were talking about how she could have forgotten who they were. The on called Ryuhou seemed to be the most traumatized about it, even though she was sure she had never seen him before. Or, almost sure at least. Something about these people pulled at her subcounscious, but she honestly couldn't remember what it was she was suposed to have forgotten.

She sat up and walked silently over to the door, pressing her ear against it to better hear what it was they were saying about her.

" She remember's her name, how come she can't remember anything else." Came the voice of Mimori.

" Haven't you ever heard of amnesia?" Kazuma replied in his typical, sarcastic manner.

" Well of course, I am a doctor you know."

" Then how come you don't know how to treat it? Make her memory come back?"

" Kazu-kun, leave her alone." Kanami reprimanded him in her cute, bubbly voice.

" Pff...like I care anyway."

" Honestly Kazuma. If you know what amnesia is, then you should know that a persons memory can't be forced back. It may return slowly, quickly, or not at all. You never know." Ryuhou said.

" I know that!"

" Can you guys just calm down? It's not the end of the world. At least she's alive."

She frowned at what Couagr said. Dead? Was she supposed to be dead?

" He's right. We need to take this in stride. We can handle this." Mimori stated, although she sounded a little suffy. Sure enough...

" Ah! Don't cry Miss Minori."

" Mimori!"

" He's right Mimori. This isn't a crying matter." Ryuhou again. " We should be trying to help her remember us."

" I know...I just...She's really alive, isn't she?"

There was silence after that. It was if they were afraid to talk about her for too long. The conversation started up again, but gave no useful information as to who she was, and what she was supposed to remember. Schersie gave a sigh. Did they think she couldn't hear them? Or maybe they knew she could hear them, and didn't want her to worry about the things they said. It was too late for that, she was already worried.

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Cougar took a walk. He wasn't sure where he was going, all he knew was that he had to get away from everyone and everything. He was thinking about how Ryuhou had reacted to discovering Scherise was alive. It was as if he had forgotten that Mimori even existed, or had feelings. And Kazuma...Kazuma pretended as though he didn't care, but it was obvious he did. He had been a loner for so long, save for Kanami, that he had began to bottle up his feelings. He didn't know how to act around friends. And since his old ones had died...well, the man was being stubborn about admitting that he cared.

Mimori was abviously worried about Scherise, but Cougar could see the unshed tears in her eyes whenever Ryuhou said her name. If she were less of an angel, he would say that she was jealous, but he knew that wasn't the case. She was just afraid of losing Ryuhou again.

As for him...well...He wasn't sure how he felt. Sure he was glad, damn glad for that matter, that Scherise was alive, but it seemed as though something was different. She didn't gaze at Ryuhou with the adoration shining in her eyes like it used to, and she rarely spoke. It was if her entire personality had changed. Hell, she had changed...

" Cougar...right?"

He turned at the sound of the voice, only to encounter Scherise. She was wearing one of his shirts, and borrowed pants from Mimori. He could tell that she didn't have a bra on, since the night was slightly chilly, and his ears burned in embarrassment, although he wasn't sure why.

" Hello Scherise." He replied calmly, wondering why she had followed him. She looked down at the ground and crossed her arms.

" Could I..,Could I speak to you?" She asked him. He nodded, but then remembered her head was down.

" Yes."

She looked back up and ran up to him. It was then he noticed the disparity in thier heights. Funny, she had never seemed so tiny before. But then he had always thought of her as a tough person. She had always seemed tall because her personality was so large. But seeing her now, seeing her at her weakest...something was just wrong alltogether.

They fell into step, side by side, neither of them speaking. Cougar was curious as to what she wanted to talk to him about. When they were at HOLY they had gotten along, but by no means could they be called close friends. They had been more like friendly aquintances. They had merely shared most of the same friends.

They walked in silence for quite a while longe befroe she spoke again. By this time they were about one-third of a mile away from the town.

" Why do all of you know me?" She asked. Cougar was suprised. He had been expecting something a little more serious, although to her, it must seem of utmost importance. He thought quickly, remembering that Mimori had told all of them not to reveal too much, that her memory had to come back on its own.

" We used to work together." He replied.

" Where?"

" The company...was downsized. There was corruption among the higher ups."

" Mmm...I asked where, not why we don't work there anymore."

Cougar sighed. Well, so much for following doctors orders. Scherise still possesed an inquisitive nature. He wouldn't get ou half-assing all his answers.

" A sect of the military called HOLY."

" What did we do?"

" Keep the peace among the citizens."

" Oh..."

She lapsed back into silence before sitting herslf on the ground. He followed her and watched as she stared at the stars. She was different, there was no denying it. Her hair was a lighter blue due to all the exposure to the sun, and her skin had evened out into a dark tan. It was no longer red. She looked...exotic, for lack of a better word. Her eyes closed and she leaned back to lay against the ground. He avoided looking at her. He was already uncomfortable. This was the longest they had ever been alone in each other's company, and the longest he had been alone with someone else for months. Cougar wasn't sure how to act without a crowd around to show off to.

A sigh escaped her and he looked down at her. There were tears coming from the corners of her eyes.

" Did I do something wrong by being alive Cougar? Is there something wrong with _not _being dead?"

" No..." He replied slowly.

" Then why do all of you talk about me when I'm not in the same room as if I were some kind of insect? Don't deny it either. I've heard you."

" We don't want to upset you."

She sat up and glared at him.

" What's upsetting is to have to listen against a door to find out anything about my own past. What's upsetting is to not remember anyone or anything! What's upsetting is the fact that none of you are treating me like a real person!"

" Scherise..."

" That Ryuhou guy, he treats me like I love him or something! I don't even know who he is! I don't know who you are! I don't know any of them!"

This came as a shock to Cougar. Scherise wasn't in love with Ryuhou? She had been so devoted to him before...but maybe losing your memory made you lose your heart as well. If that was true though, then how come she was so upset?

" Scherise..." He began slowly"...you were in love with him. Before you went missing that is."

" Then how come I don't love him now?"

" I...I honestly don't know. Maybe it has to do something with your alter..."

" Alter? What's an alter?"

Cougar clamped his mouth shut and stood. She did as well.

" I've said too much. Goodnight Scherise."

He ignored her latching onto and pulling his arm as he walked back towards the town. He wasn't answering anymore of her questions tonight.

And he was going to ignore the guilt he felt at not telling her what she needed to know too.

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As is the norm, read and review or else...something will happen to you in the undefinable future that will, in all probability, not affect you.


	5. Chapter 5: Failed escape

Scherise roughly threw the clothes she had been lent into Kanami's backpack. She felt guilty for taking the young girls bag without asking, as well as the clothes, but she squelched the feeling. It had been almost a month since she had come here and she still could not remember anything. On the outside she had been all smiles and good cheer, but inside she was seething. The only one she could actually talk to was Cougar, and he was about as informative as the rest of them, save for that one night.

It was night, and they had all fallen asleep. She had waited until she was sure she wouldn't be heard and began packing. She now moved into the kitchen to prepare a bag of food, and some water bottles for her journey. She wasn't sure where she was going, but she knew where ever it was would give her the answers she was desperately seekng.

What exactly was HOLY? Who were all the people that claimed to know her? What was an alter? Most importantly, who exactly was she?

Scherise knew that by staying here she wouldn't get a single answer. She couldn't trust a single on of them, and regardless of whether they knew it or not, they couldn't trust her. After all, who sneaks away like a thief in the night to get away from thier friends.

After she had everything she went outside to start the Jeep. It was a rickety old thing, but she didn't care. She would come back some day to return it. Maybe...

The windows were tinted and rolled up, and the top was up as well. That was good. It would save her the trouble of having to manually force the stubborn thing up and being forced to freeze. She breathed a soft sigh of relief. Opening the back she layed her bags down and pulled out a jacket. It was one of Cougars, as were half the shirts. She had taken to wearing his clothing since she was staying in his room. He had taken up residence on the couch, only coming in to get clothes or hide frim Mimori and her determination to get him to do chores. Other than that they never saw each other.

She also pulled out a pair of pink shades and put them on. Giving a grin she walked back around to the front of the Jeep. She had left a letter to him informing him of the whereabouts of his precious shades, and his missing clothing. She honestly hoped he didn't mind too much, she just wanted a souvenir to remember him by if she forgot to came back or wasn't able to. She had also taken some of Mimori's pants, two of Kazuma's shirts, and Ryuhou's...Wait. She hadn't taken anything of Ryuhou's. She shrugged in an nonchalant manner and opened the door to the Jeep.

" Hello Scherise, nice night to run away..."

She shrieked when she saw who sat there. Cougar was leaning back against the seat and his bare feet were propped up on the dashboard. His eyes were closed and he had a grin on his face. A crumpled note lay in his lap and she glared at it, recognizing her handwriting.

" It was nice of you to leave me a note that you were stealing my shades, clothes, and only mode of transportation, but didn't you forget a tiny detail?" He said. "I take walks at night. I came in when you came out of my room with Kanami's pack. Honestly, you should pay more attention to your surroundings."

" Well...I have my reasons..." She began slowly.

" Yes, you wrote that. I believe you said " I'm just not comfortable in a surrounding where everyone is lying to me" or someting like that. Tell me, have I ever lied to you?"

His eyes opened and he sat up and stepped out of the Jeep, closing the door behind him. She took a few steps back from him as he advanced. Before she knew it she was against the front door. He stopped about a foot in front of her and shoved his hands in his pockets.

" No. You've never lied." She finally answered.

" And neither has anyone else."

" No, but none of you are exactly helpful when I ask about my past."

" Mimori said..."

" I know what Mimori said, but I'm not her! I don't have all my memories, I don't know who I am, I'm don't know anything! She's not in the same boat I am."

" I never said she was."

He turned and stalked toward the car. Popping the trunk he took out her things and slung them over his shoulders. Then he fished a knife out of his pocket and slashed a tire. As it deflated, so did her hopes of escape. Then he came back and lifted her over his shoulder. She shrieked in protest, successfully waking the household. They blinked in stunned, weary silence as Cougar carried through the living room, then to his bedroom. He exited a few moments later and placed a chair underneath the handle. Grinning sheepishly at them all, he said a few simple words that cleared the matter of the screaming girl like smoke in the wind.

" They do that in movies all the time. I just wanted to try it."

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The next day Scherise was sullen and quiet, glaring at Cougar like he had grown horns on his head. He ignored her and joked with the others, flirting with Mimori every once in a while, as Kazuma and Ryuhou scarfed thier meal down as if they were starving. Nobody really payed attention to her joyless mood, but it was noticed by Kanami, who immediately voiced an opinion.

" I think you should just let it go. Kazu-kun gets like that everyonce in a while, and he's gone for a long time when he does, but he never comes back any smarter."

There was a loud protest from where Kazuma was sitting but nobody really payed attention to it. Instead Cougar nearly choked on the bite of oatmeal he was getting ready to eat, and Scherise stared at the little girl in shock, wondering how she knew she was planning to leave. She was getting ready to ask when Cougar stood, excused himself for a moment and rushed out of the room with Kanami. They were back five minutes later, with Cougar shaking his head and Kanami smiling in a suspiciously false manner.

" Cougar says not to read your mind anymore, although I wasn't really reading your mind, just your emotions. I apologize." She said, then resumed eating.

" I said to say it later Kani-chan." He told her, then looked at Scherise in apology. " I'll explain later."

She gave him another glare.

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That afternoon Scherise was working at the "hospital" and thinking about what happened over breakfast. She had finally found out what an alter was, thanks to Cougar explaining as he drove her to work. She had nearly had a heart attack when he showed her his, and had been grateful when the ride was over. He had gotten all..weird...It was if speeding like a maniac was what he loved most. Even creepier was that the poor Jeep had turned a different color _and _shape.

The idea of an alter alltogether was a spiffy one though. She wasn't sure if she had one or not, but she figured that since she had worked with people who had alter ability she must have. All it took now was trying to figure out what hers was. She honestly hoped it was one that enabled her to fly, or save lives. Something that she could use to her benefit to get away from here or uproot that quack who called hinself a doctor.

One of the patients called to her and she abandoned her current task to go ask him what he needed.

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Cougar was confused out of his mind. He had dropped off the Jeep at the house a while ago and was currently walking to the farm to help around. Kanami had told him it would help if he was bringing in something to the house so he had posted for a job where she and Kazuma worked just to help.

But that wasn't that important. What was confusing him was Scherise. He was wanting to be around her all the time and that disturbed him greatly. She had always been a bubbly little girl in his eyes and he was no longer seeing her as such. His eyes were always following the movement of her hips against his will and he always wanted to touch her. To hold her, and even kiss her. The thought had passed through his mind many times in the last month but he always forced it away, convincing himself that she was in love with Ryuhou still. But...she never acted like she even loved Ryuhou at all. On the contrary, she treated him like a friend. But with him...well, Cougar had unconsciously flirted with her a number of times, and she had flirted right back.

And therein lied the problem. He knew he was attracted to her, but he wasn't sure how she felt. It was impossible to tell except for those times that they were alone. Even then, she always backed away and returned to her smling facade. As far as he knew the flirting could be a facade as well. A facade that she only showed when around him.

Maybe he was being suspicious, but most women he had encountered in life that he liked had turned him down. He was used to rejection, he just wasn't sure he could take it from her. Something was different about her. Losing her memory wasn't it. It was deeper.

He sighed and gave a wave as he saw Kanami. There was no point in dwelling on such serious thought right now. He needed to get to work.

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Read and review or the apocalypse will happen.


	6. Chapter 6:Laws

Two weeks later news came from the mainland. A law had been passed stating that all alters were to be considered sub-human and were to be apprehended immediately for testing. The news came to them not by courier, mail, or home, but from the residents of the town. They came to the door of their shared home and broke it down carrying handcuffs and rope with which to take them into custody. The only one at home at that time was Kanami, and she was taken away to a prison cell until the others could be taken. It wasn't long before they came.

The farm at which Kazuma, Cougar and Kanami worked at was closed off to them. As Kazuma and Cougar returned home they noticed a crowd in front of their house. It was Kazuma who spoke first.

"What the hell is going on here?" He yelled at them, walking towards them in a threatening manner. A few backed up, but most stayed their ground. One burly man stepped forward.

"Alter! You are hereby under arrest in accordance with law number 22-8, section F. You will be transported to the mainland and you _will_ go willingly or we will be forced to use force." When the man's speech ended a few people stepped forward holding out handcuffs. Kazuma glared at them and Cougar just laughed.

"Where's Kanami?" Kazuma demanded.

"Do you honestly think you could defeat us? You have no alter. " Cougar said between laughs."Tell you what, how about we just leave?"

They were both ignored, and Kazuma's right arm began to glow. Cougar slid his shades off the top of his head and over his eyes, and began to glow as well. A few of the men's faces reflected fear, but they kept on advancing. A shrill scream split the air.

"Let go of me! I need to do my work at the hospital!" Cougar looked over to the voice, but Kazuma jumped into the air, his arm now a mechanical looking object.

"Shocking first bullet!" He yelled, bringing his fist down upon them men. They scattered, the few unlucky enough to be caught in the attack were knocked unconscious. Cougar ran over to Scherise insted, intent on getting the crowd of people surrounding her out of the way. He was barely surprised when Ryuhou appeared on the other side of him, Zetsuei already out. Before either of them had reached her though, she managed to twist her arm around, flip up in the air, kick a few men in the face, and let out a series of punches thast shocked her attackers as much as it shocked her. Ryuhou ran towards one of them who was still conscious and knocked him out cold. A loud crash sounded behind them, and all three turned.

Kazuma was standing in the remains of what used to be a house with knocked out men and several woman surrounding him. Several of them were running away from the scene, and before she could get by, Cougar grabbed her by the neck of her shirt and pulled her back towards him. A gasp escaped the woman as he turned her around to glare at her.

"Where's Kanami?" He fairly growled at her. She paled and shook her head.

"Answer him!" Kazum yelled, showing up over his shoulder and reaching out an arm to shake her.

"She's in the prison." The woman said faintly. Cougar released her ad she ran off, her legs shaking badly. Ryhou and Kazuma ran off to go get Kanami as Cougar turned to face Scherise. She was trembling and satring at her hands in shock. After a few moments of silence she looked up at him.

"How..?" She began.

"Basic combat training for all HOLY members. We learn to not only use control our alters better, but how to defend ourselves without hurting a non-alter opponent too greatly." He answered before she could finish. That said, he turned back towards the house to rummage through the rubble for any food or supplies that may have survived the destruction. After a while Scherise walked over and began helping him.

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That night they left and headed in the direction of the mainland. Ryhou was driving with Kazuma asleep on the luggage with Kanami in his lap. Mimiori was up front with Ryhou, staring silently ahead. Cougar and Scherise were currently occupying hte back seat. Scherise had long since fallen asleep, and was leaning on Cougars shoulder with her feet up in the seat. Cougar was trying to ignore her, but it was proving to be difficult with her lips brushing his neck and her breath falling across his skin. Goosebumps had long since arisen from the sensation, but he stubbornly blamed it on the cold. He had given Scherise his jacket to wear, but only after she had fallen asleep. Mimiori had noticed the movement in the passenger side mirror and had smiled at him. He had stuck out his tongue in return.

Scherise shifted, and her body fell of his side and into his lap, her head lying on his thigh. She turned onto her back and threw an arm around his waist, the other coming to lie across her stomach. He stiffened slightly, a pink tinge coming to rest on his cheeks. Gradually it went away and he looked down at her, relaxing. His hand came out to brush some hair off of her face and finally went to her waist, lying there comfortably. A small smile crossed her lips.

He began to doze.


End file.
